Fault management in a VDSL network

Abstract

A method for managing a plurality of failures in a video and data network is provided. The method includes discovering a failure in the video and data network. The failure is correlated with the plurality of failures to determine related failures. A root cause of the failure is then isolated. Next, the related failures that were generated as a result of the root cause failure are suppressed. If the root cause is automatically resolvable, the root cause is resolved.

1. A method for managing a plurality of failures in a video and data network comprising:
 discovering a failure in the video and data network; 
 correlating the failure with the plurality of failures to determine related failures; 
 isolating a root cause of the failure; 
 suppressing the related failures that were generated as a result of the root cause failure; 
 determining if the root cause is automatically resolvable; and 
 if the root cause is automatically resolvable, resolving the root cause. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the video and data network comprises a Digital Subscriber Line (xDSL) network. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the video and data network comprises a Very high bit rate DSL (VDSL) network. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising creating a repair ticket for the failure. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein correlating the failure comprises:
 interacting with a physical network transport inventory; and 
 determining upstream and downstream physical network elements from the failure. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein correlating the failure comprises:
 interacting with a virtual network transport inventory; and 
 determining upstream and downstream virtual network elements from the failure. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein correlating the failure comprises:
 correlating related failures from the upstream and downstream physical and virtual network elements with the failure. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein isolating the root cause of the failure comprises gathering performance data. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein isolating the root cause of the failure comprises performing tests on the video and data network. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein performing tests on the network comprises performing a physical connectivity test. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the physical connectivity test comprises a Physical Loop Test. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9 , wherein performing tests on the video and data network comprises performing a virtual connectivity test. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the physical connectivity test comprises an Operations And Maintenance (OAM) test. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining one or more user's affected by the failure. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein determining one or more user's affected by the failure comprises using customer data to correlate the one or more users to the root cause. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising notifying the one or more user's affected by the root cause. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising opening a repair ticket in one or more records of the one or more user's affected by the root cause. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising determining when the root cause was resolved. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising closing the repair ticket in the one or more records of the one or more user's affected by the root cause when the root cause has been resolved. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein notifying the one or more user's affected by the root cause when the root cause is resolved. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 20 , further comprising validating the resolution of the root cause. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , wherein validating the resolution of the failure comprises testing a physical connectivity of the video and data network. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 21 , wherein validating the resolution of the failure comprises testing a virtual connectivity of the video and data network. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing the root cause and failure in a history of failures.